EghtesadOnline: The first gas unit of Dalahu Combined Cycle Power Plant in Eslamabad-e-Gharb County, Kermanshah Province, with a capacity of 310 megawatts came online on Monday.

According to the Energy Ministry news portal Paven, the plant will have another gas unit of 310 MW and a 290 MW steam unit, which together will boost nominal electricity production capacity to 910 MW.

“The second gas unit will come on stream in February and the steam unit will be operational next summer,” managing director of the Thermal Power Plants Holding Company said, according to Financial Tribune.

“With almost 84% work-in-progress, it is a F-class power plant that will use advanced units,” Paven quoted Mohsen Tarztalab as saying.

Energy efficiency of a conventional thermal power station is defined as salable energy produced as a percent of the heating value of the fuel consumed.

An undertaking of the private sector, the plant is owned and constructed by Farab Company that has built several power plants across Iran and is active in oil, gas and petrochemical projects, railroad industries plus construction of water, wastewater treatment and desalination plants.

Farab has also taken part in international projects and built power plants in Iraq, Tajikistan and Kenya.

Domestic manufacturers have provided almost half the equipment used in the Dalahu Plant that is to supply power to the western province during summers.

Raising Capacity

Tarztalab earlier said that 22 thermal units with total capacity of 4,000 MW will start operation by the end of June. However, the launch is going to take more time as some will come on stream by mid-July and others by August.

Iran has an installed capacity of 81,000 MW and plans to raise output to more than 85,000 MW by the end of summer.

Pointing to development plans underway, he said TPPHC is constructing gas-powered units in Sabalan, Kashan, Urmia, Chabahar and the Asalouyeh combined cycle power plant.

Thermal units, which either use steam, gas-powered or combined-cycle turbines, account for 65,000 MW of the total electricity production.

A total of 123 thermal power plants are operational. In thermal power generation Iran is ninth in the world.

The general overhaul program of thermal power plants has been completed and the units are ready for peak hour demand.

Annual overhaul programs start in September and end in May the next year.

Curbing Consumption

Rising temperatures are a permanent feature of large parts in Iran for almost half a year, especially in the southern and central desert areas where the mercury has shot up to 50 degrees Centigrade in recent years closing schools and offices.

According to weather reports, Iran will have a sweltering summer this year. Assessments show that temperature increase by one degree Centigrade raises electricity consumption in the country by over 1,300 megawatts.

Network load reached 57,000 MW during peak hours last summer, but is expected to surpass 61 gigawatts this summer.

On Sunday power consumption reached 53,500 MW and this is at a time when the hot season has not yet begun.

To tackle the ever-increasing summer power consumption, there are plans to change working hours to help avoid power outages.

Changing working hours helped with load management in provincial capitals, big cities and towns last year.

The move cut power consumption by as much as 2,000 megawatts last summer. As per the hour changing scheme, staff should start work at 6:30 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m. and leave at 3:30 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m.

State and government organizations are obliged to switch off all cooling systems after working hours and face power outages if they fail to comply.

As the temperature has unusually shot up during the past weeks in some regions, some provinces have already launched the new work-hour plan.